Working Off Debt for a Hundred Years

Tilly, despite her adorable appearance, had a normal IQ and eventually figured things out.

Compensation was out of the question, but her value was real, and she had to repay the life-saving debt.

She looked up, her gaze fixed seriously on the Red Dragon.

"Lord Dragon, I'll make up the money to you. My family has an artifact passed down from the Elven Dynasty; it's very valuable. I'll have my father bring it to you when I get back."

"Ha! Are you kidding me? How do I know you'll keep your promise! And how can you guarantee your father won't bring an army instead of compensation?!"

"I won't! I can swear on the name of a deity!" Tilly panicked, raising a hand as if to swear.

"Silence!" Jose flicked a claw, sweeping the Elf maiden's raised hand down with a single finger.

Of course, he had held back. Otherwise, with the strength of the Red Dragon clan, one finger could snap the Elf maiden's stick-like arm.

He no longer wanted to chat with the Elf maiden: "Swearing is no, compensation is no. In any case, you have to work for me to pay off your debt! You're not allowed to leave!"

Deprived of her freedom, Tilly was on the verge of tears and stomped her feet repeatedly. "You! You! How can you be so unreasonable?!"

"Ha! You're talking reason to me?!" Jose's voice was low and hoarse. He tilted his head, extending his dragon head in front of the Elf maiden, his eyes narrowed, his lava-like pupils filled with killing intent.

The Red Dragon was the strongest dragon species among the Five-Colored Evil Dragons. His massive, sturdy physique was defined by rock-like muscles, and the crown on his head resembled split thorns. Coupled with the fearsome reputation of the Red Dragon clan, Jose barely needed to feign ferocity; he was inherently intimidating.

His voice was ethereal, like a death knell: "I am an evil dragon, you know."

"Eek!"

The Elf maiden's face was filled with terror. She tried to quickly retreat, but as she lifted a leg, she tripped over a wooden crate behind her and fell into it with a yelp.

Seeing the silent tears rolling down the Elf maiden's face, Jose uninterestingly retracted his head.

Boring, she cried so easily.

"In short, you cannot leave. Also, to prevent you from sneaking away, you must sign a magical contract with me."

"I... I won't sign!" Tilly stubbornly turned her head away.

Oh, she still has some spirit.

But Jose wouldn't indulge her. He threatened fiercely, "If you don't sign, I'll eat you!"

To strengthen his persuasiveness and satisfy his own wicked urge to tease, he extended his slender tongue, the tip of which glided across the Elf maiden's fair cheek.

"Wah!"

The Elf maiden covered her face with one hand and burst into tears. Through her fingers, her originally fair cheek could be seen turning red, but not from shyness.

The surface structure of a dragon's tongue was similar to a cat's, covered in pinkish papillae. Being licked by a dragon's tongue was no different from being scraped by sandpaper.

"Waaah~!"

Her loud cries echoed through the dragon's lair. Jose simply watched her.

His demand for the Elf to work for him for a hundred years wasn't just a whim. She was a Druid apprentice who had received proper Druidic education. Her knowledge of flora and fauna surpassed his own, despite his past life's vast collection of street literature.

With her help, the difficulty of developing agriculture and animal husbandry would be reduced by several levels.

After a long while, Tilly noticed the unusual quietness around her. She turned to look at the Red Dragon and found him staring at her coldly. She couldn't help but shiver, and her crying immediately stopped.

"Have you thought about it? Will you work for me for a hundred years, or will you be eaten by me?" The Red Dragon's voice was devoid of emotion. Tilly understood that she had to make a choice quickly.

Between losing her life forever and temporarily sacrificing her freedom, she chose the latter.

Elves were long-lived species. A hundred years was about one-tenth of their lifespan, not too much, but not a little either.

Her eyes darted around, and she asked timidly, "Lord... Lord Dragon, can it be less?"

"You dare to negotiate with me?!" Jose bared his fangs, but inwardly, he was relaxed. Negotiating meant the Elf maiden had accepted the offer to work off her debt.

He feigned annoyance: "Fine, how much less do you want?"

Tilly was delighted, then lowered her head, her face a picture of conflicted thought. She wanted to bargain for more but was afraid of angering the Red Dragon. If she asked for too little, she would be at a disadvantage.

Come on! You're the bravest! Never surrender to the evil dragon's tyranny!

She mustered her courage and held out an index finger, then, halfway, shakily raised her middle finger to form a V-shape. "Ten years... No! Twenty years!"

Because of the "Golden Fertilizer" (Jinkela), Jose's development rate was faster than that of ordinary dragons. He would only need seventy years to reach adulthood. Adult Red Dragons, if they didn't court death, would live forever. Therefore, his psychological expectation was to limit the Elf maiden to seventy years. The reason he had said a hundred years was to leave room for the little Elf to bargain.

She hasn't even reached the bottom line. This little Elf's bargaining skills aren't sharp enough!

Secretly rejoicing, he put on a troubled expression.

Under Tilly's anxious gaze, Jose frowned and "pondered" for a long time, speaking in a tone as if he had suffered a great loss: "Alright, eighty years it is."

Score!

I got lucky!

If the occasion were not inappropriate, Tilly would have wanted to cheer.

It seemed the Red Dragon wasn't as tyrannical as the rumors claimed. Not only did he not eat her, but he was also so accommodating, forgiving her twenty years of debt. She inwardly rejoiced.

Subsequently, the two signed a contract with the binding power of a deity.

As for why it was a divine oath contract and not a Familiar Contract, firstly, the Elf maiden would not agree, and secondly, Jose felt that a Druid apprentice was not qualified to be his familiar. If the little Elf showed any extraordinary talent during the contract period, it would not be too late to take her as a familiar then.

After letting Ergou familiarize the Elf maiden with the surroundings, Jose lay alone in the dragon's lair, deep in thought.

Taking in an Elf Druid apprentice, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse.

After a moment, he figured it out.

When trouble comes, we'll deal with it; I'll just focus on what I can do, and leave the rest to fate.

With nothing to do and no desire to sleep, Jose observed his familiars through the Familiar Contract.

The Boarman merchant, Hulk Stonefang, was unloading grain from his cart and loading metal ingots. He was about to return to the grasslands.

Sorda Bloodtooth was whipping soldiers in training. Since the news that they would go to war with the Moss Hide Gnoll Tribe in winter spread, the soldiers trained with increasing fervor, fueled by hatred.

Having lived in the same area for hundreds of years, there had been countless conflicts, big and small, between the Gnolls and the Kobolds. The hatred had accumulated over time and was deeply ingrained in their hearts.

Luna Bloodfeather was lying in her nest, looking in a mirror, with flower arrangements beside her.

Hmm... she really thinks of herself as an Elf.

Hasa Bloodclaw returned from a hunt.

Good heavens! He actually managed to get a moose! (A moose is a large animal, bigger than a cow.)

Oh, he's even thinking of offering it to me to make me happy.

Not bad, the young man has potential.

Jose was pleased and decided to properly nurture this newly acquired familiar.

He then looked at the other Kobold chieftains. The other chieftains were all doing their daily chores, such as making little Kobolds or something.

And then there was the last familiar – Ergou.

Huh?

Jose discovered that Ergou was very angry and was leading the Elf maiden towards the dragon's lair.

What's going on? Didn't I ask him to find a tent for the little Elf?

After a moment, Ergou entered the dragon's lair with Tilly.

"Master! This Elf is too picky! She actually complained that our tents are dirty!"

Beside him, Tilly retorted indignantly, "I... I was just telling the truth!"

Jose raised an eyebrow. Regarding the cleanliness of the Kobold tents, he agreed more with the little Elf's opinion. They were covered in grease and dust... never washed.

"Alright, I'll take care of her. Ergou, you can go down now."

Jose discussed it with Tilly, then found some vine seeds and planted them at the edge of the dragon's lair. He then used Druidic secret arts to accelerate their growth, creating a vine hut.

PS: Highly recommend a friend's book: "The Man Behind the Empress"

Wu Qiong, a newcomer to the modern urban workplace.

Wu Zhi, the newly enthroned Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

When a workplace newcomer from modern times and an Empress from another era start swapping bodies every other day...

"You were amazing yesterday. Tonight... do you have time tonight?"

Looking at the beautiful woman before him, biting her lip and blushing slightly, Wu Qiong was utterly bewildered.

[Wu Zhi! What did you do with my body!]

"Your Majesty! While your reprimand of the Xiongnu envoy was admirable to us ministers, but, but indulging in women leads to the ruin of the nation!"

Looking at the ministers kneeling before her, Wu Zhi was also utterly bewildered.

[Wu Qiong! What did you do with my body!]

This book is also known as "What Did You Do With My Body?", "Your Workplace, No, Your Empire", "It Really Wasn't Me Who Hit on You Guys", "Tie Up the Dog and Let It Starve".